• Imperial College LondonScientists have discovered differences in the brain structure of ballet dancers that may help them avoid feeling dizzy. The research suggests that years of training can enable dancers to suppress signals from the balance organs in the inner ear. Barry Seemungal, from the department of medicine at Imperial, says: "It's not useful for a ballet dancer to feel dizzy or off balance. Their brains adapt over years of training to suppress that input. Consequently, the signal going to the brain areas responsible for perception of dizziness in the cerebral cortex is reduced, making dancers resistant to feeling dizzy." He adds: "If we can target that same brain area or monitor it in patients with chronic dizziness, we can begin to understand how to treat them better."

• University of BristolA study shows there's been a dramatic fall in death rates after hip replacements. Findings show that mortality rates in the first 90 days following hip replacement surgery has halved. The study also found that overweight patients have a lower risk of death than those with a "normal" body mass index. Ashley Blom, professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Bristol, says: "It is very exciting that we can further reduce the risk of post-operative death by adopting four relatively simple measures." He adds: "The finding that overweight people have a lower risk of death is surprising, but has been confirmed by other recent studies, and challenges some of our preconceptions. We need to concentrate efforts on reducing the risk of death in high risk groups such as those with severe liver disease."

• University of CambridgeAn investigation into how musicians find creative inspiration has identified four key ingredients needed for creative expression. These are: freedom, flexibility, a sense of being "in the moment", and a commitment to "giving" the music to an audience. The study found that breakthrough moments of inspiration often took place while musicians were humming pieces to themselves, imagining dance moves or emotional narratives inspired by the music, or tapping out rhythms on nearby furniture, rather than using their instruments. John Rink, professor of musical performance studies at the University of Cambridge, says: "By discovering for themselves key aspects of the creative process, the performers in our study have been able to reflect on what it is that makes them individually creative and to unlock more of that for themselves." He adds: "Some of our discoveries thus far may feed into a performance curriculum allowing students to aspire to - and attain - greater musical inspiration and creative individuality than they already achieve."

• University of ManchesterA fragile 165-year-old pamphlet – the only surviving copy of a Chartist hymn book – has been transformed into a CD by a veteran protest singer. Called Liberty is Near!, it is the first time Chartist hymns have been recorded. The hymn books were designed in an attempt to produce a standard hymn book for the movement. Garth Hewitt, who made the recordings, says: "I think [the hymns] are interesting politically and I think they are also interesting for the church community to see the way that social justice and a theology come together in these songs with great power." He adds: "As I recorded these songs from 1845 they came alive to me and I kept seeing a remarkable relevance to our own society."

• Durham UniversityResearch reveals that large numbers of Christian university students are affirming their faith in private and not attending Sunday service. The study, which looked at undergraduates from 13 different English universities, found that liberal Christians outnumbered evangelical Christians tenfold on campus. It shows that many students start to detach themselves from church by the time they reach this formative stage in life. Lead author Mathew Guest, at Durham University, says: "With the vast majority of Christian students affirming a moderate expression of values in keeping with wider British culture, the Church faces a difficult decision about whether to adapt to changing times or risk permanently alienating an entire generation." He adds: "As educated, upwardly mobile individuals, the Church risks alienating an important demographic group – the future leaders of society who could be major standard bearers for Christian tradition. The challenge for the Church will be finding a way of engaging the interests and enthusiasms of this generation."

• University of Leeds / Cambridge / BathRacial, ethnic and sexual inequality in the US has deepened as a result of the dominance of financial services, a study shows. Researchers compared the earnings of white, Hispanic and Black men and women working in different jobs between 1983 and 2009. They found the earnings of white men working in managerial and financial services rose more rapidly than that of Hispanic and Black men and women employed in all sectors of the US economy during the 26-year period. Research also showed that white males working in managerial and financial services earned more than white males working in any part of the economy. The study is the first comprehensive analysis of how the dominance of the financial services sector has affected different demographic groups in the U.S. "The results were startling," says Giuseppe Fontana, professor of monetary economics at Leeds University. "The wage premium of white men working in finance has risen considerably over the last three decades at the expense of women and ethnic groups. This suggests that financialisation has actually stratified society, and widened the gulf between white men at the top and women and ethnic minorities."

And finally

Photograph: Archivo Iconografico, SA/Corbis

• University of ReadingA long-lost portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte thought to be worth around £2m has been discovered in New York by a University of Reading researcher. The painting by renowned 18/19th century French artist Jacques-Louis David captures Napoleon pledging to defend France in 1813 in its hour of need, as the British and Prussians threatened to invade and occupy France. Simon Lee, from the University of Reading's art department, says: "I am thrilled to have discovered this beautiful painting which offers a unique insight into the role that art could play at a time of war. By having his portrait painted in National Guard uniform, Napoleon was promoting himself as protector and defender of the nation at the time when France was under great threat." He adds: "David produced an image of the Emperor to galvanise resistance and foster patriotism, yet the painting never reached a wide audience because of the unexpectedly swift allied invasion that ensured the image remained uncirculated and practically unknown."